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Tech Talk

Robot blimp to explore the secret void inside the Great Pyramid of Giza

After discovering a large cavern inside the Great Pyramid of Giza last month, researchers from the University of Cairo’s Faculty of Engineering in Egypt and France’s HIP Institute were faced with a difficult problem — how exactly might they access the void?

Previously, a custom exploration robot explored a chamber by drilling a small hole large enough for a camera to see in. Now, Inria and CNRS are working with the ScanPyramids project to develop an exploration robot that can fit through a hole only 3.5 centimeters large. In an interview with IEEESpectrum, Inria senior researcher Dr. Jean-Baptiste Mouret said that they chose the size of the hole as a compromise — to minimize damage while still allowing an appropriately equipped robot to fit through. The robot would unfold and inflate itself, explore, and then deflate and evacuate. Read more...